Abstract

Although the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was only established at midnight on 26-27 April 1994, its history can be traced back to 1 July 1912, when South Africa's first-ever defence force, namely the Union Defence Forces (UDF), officially came into being. In the light of the fact that all South Africans should commemorate the centenary of their country's armed forces, the Editorial Board decided as early as 2009 - at the recommendation of the Editor - to publish a special edition of the Journal for Contemporary History, in commemoration of a century of armed forces in the Union and (since 1961) the Republic of South Africa.